Google closes deal with gesture recognition firm Flutter

Gesture recognition company Flutter has shaken hands with Google on a deal, the two companies announced this week.

Flutter was founded three years ago in San Francisco and since its inception has helped pioneer gesture recognition software development. Its “Kinect for OS X” gesture recognition technology uses hand signals and movements to control music and movies that are played on devices with built-in webcams. Designed with a comic book theme, it can also control navigation for iTunes, Spotify, Windows Media Player, and Winamp.

Whilst details and terms of the deal have not been released, TechRadar reported that even though Flutter’s team will be joining Google’s headquarters in California, its app will remain operational and will be extended to the Chrome browser to work with other Google services such as YouTube, as well as Netflix, Grooveshark and Pandora.

A Google spokesperson confirmed the news saying, “We’re really impressed by the Flutter team’s ability to design new technology based on cutting-edge research. We look forward to supporting and collaborating on their research efforts at Google.”

The acquisition of a gesture-recognition start up by the multinational corporation suggests that Google intends to follow the suit of some of its rivals and integrate the technology into its Chromebook and Nexus devices. Samsung recently introduced Air Gesture technology for its Galaxy S4 smartphone, allowing users to scroll through web pages, accept calls and control music through simple movements of the hand.

With so many companies looking to invest in this technology, it looks like Google stretching its own arm out to Flutter will pave the way for a future where the humble keyboard and mouse become obsolete.